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UN General Assembly Passes Defamation of Religion Resolution With Less Support Than Last Year

By Howard M. Friedman

Today for the fifth year in a row, the United Nations General Assembly passed a non-binding resolution calling for "adequate protection against acts of hatred, discrimination, intimidation and coercion resulting from the defamation of religions, and incitement to religious hatred in general."It also condemns ethnic and religious profiling of Muslims. Reuters reports that the vote was 80 in favor, 61 against and 42 abstentions. The resolution, sponsored by the Organization of the Islamic Conference, has been widely criticized in Western countries as laying a groundwork for overly broad blasphemy laws. Support for the resolution has been declining each year. This year six fewer nations than last year voted in favor of it. Angela Wu of the Washington-based Becket Fund for Religious Liberty said: "The concept of 'defamation of religions' undermines the foundations of human rights law by protecting ideas instead of people, and empowering states instead of their citizens." (See prior related posting.)

Full post as published by Religion Clause on December 18, 2009 (boomark / email).